In the days ahead, social media will be flooded with photos of kids holding signs indicating their new class year at school. There will also be pictures of teachers proudly displaying the same sentiment, “My 5th year teaching!” or “My 14th year teaching” which is what my sign would have said this year. But for COVID-19.
Due to falling into a category where chances of a difficult recovery from COVID-19 are statistically higher, I’ve elected to sit out this year. My school, which I dearly loved, is celebrating the start of the new school year today, August 25, 2020, in a hybrid formula, with some students in class five days a week, and some students attending school virtually throughout the school day. I wish my former colleagues the best of luck during this stressful time.
Today, I am holding the #1, marking my first year (again) in a career situation. I will be offering my services to tutor and/or teach via Zoom, while continuing with my freelance writing career. These are all things I had planned on doing during retirement, but I was hoping to decide when that would be, not based upon my doctor’s recommendation, my family’s urging, or my concern over my own health.
My first career, from 1978-2002, was in the legal field, primarily in commercial real estate and shopping center management. For two years my family lived overseas where I volunteered at the international school my daughters attended. Upon our return to the US, I began working in education, first as a youth minister from 2004-2007, and then as a middle school language arts teacher from 2007-2020. While teaching writing to 7th and 8th graders, my own creative juices pushed me into my third career, as a freelance writer, with profiles and articles being published in regional parenting magazines from my area.
As I struggled with my decision all summer, I experienced the same anxiety and restlessness that many teachers and parents have felt. While I will greatly miss the daily contact and connection with my students and colleagues, I know this is the right decision for me.
My goal is to document this first year of change here on this site with daily posts about all of my favorite things in life: family, friends, faith, food, teaching, reading, and writing. Follow me on this journey as I begin with Year 1 (again).
Book Review: The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton by Eleanor Ray (Gallery Books, June 2021)
I’m glad I persevered with this book. When I was at 27%, I wasn’t sure I wanted to finish it. But, I hate leaving books unfinished out of respect for the author and the hard work involved in bringing a book project to fruition. The beginning of the book focuses a lot on Amy’s hidden … Continue reading Book Review: The Missing Treasures of Amy Ashton by Eleanor Ray (Gallery Books, June 2021)
Grammar for Grownups
Just for fun: How many of these can you check off? ☐ Do you ever lose your train of thought when you stumble upon a typo while reading a magazine or newspaper article? ☐ Do you cringe when you see a billboard or signage in a store with an apostrophe being used to show possession … Continue reading Grammar for Grownups
Kangaroo and Joey Words (yes, really)
Allow me to blow your 🤯 mind! I recently saw this image on a friend’s post on Facebook. I guess that makes Facebook an educational tool, right (LOL)? To understand this, just look at the white letters above. The word “masculine” contains within its letters the word “male” which is another word for masculine. So, … Continue reading Kangaroo and Joey Words (yes, really)
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